Girl, 5, woman killed in Central City shooting; 3 others injured

A 5-year-old girl and a 33-year-old woman died from gunshot wounds Tuesday afternoon in a fusillade in Central City, New Orleans police said. A 10-year-old boy had graze wounds to the face and leg, a 20-year-old man was wounded in the wrist and a 24-year-old man was shot in the face, police said.

The 5-year-old Briana Allen, was shot as she stood on a porch tied with Happy Birthday balloons.

"It was my grandson's birthday party," said a woman, referring to the 10-year-old boy.

She said she was sitting on bricks across the street near the Guste high rise when "three dudes came from that direction," the intersection of Simon Bolivar Avenue and Clio Street.

Initially she thought the weapons in their hands were "play guns." She said the armed men were shooting at other people who ran to the birthday party area.

Police marked about 24 casings spread in front of an area on Simon Bolivar Avenue from 1212-1214 Simon Bolivar Avenue to Clio Street. Casings littered the asphalt street as well as the neutral ground.

The 33-year-old woman, Shawanna Pierce, mother of three, was shot while driving a green Mazda 3 on Simon Bolivar Avenue. After she was hit, she crashed the car into a utility pole at Simon Bolivar and Thalia Street.

The video above, shared by New Orleans police, shows the three Central City shooters.

She had nothing to do with the violence; a bullet traveled about three blocks and hit her, said police, noting the information is preliminary. Blood was smeared on an airbag that deployed in the crash.

A police officer was pumping her chest, said a man who had just left home to go to a barber shop on Simon Bolivar.

"He was trying to save her," he said.

The 5-year-old girl had gunshot wounds to the abdomen and died at a hospital, police said.

New Orleans Police Chief Ronal Serpas called the shooting an act of "cowardice" ... to be overcome by the city of New Orleans.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who also was at the scene after the shooting, called the shootings "irrational" and the act of "thugs" who did not care about the children's party.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll-free at 1.877.903.7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn as much as $2,500 for tips that lead to an indictment.

Child among five shot - Landrieu and Serpas respondMayor Mitch Landrieu and Police Chief Ronal Serpas hold a briefing after five people were shot at the scene of a child's birthday party on a porch in the 1200 block of Simon Bolivar Avenue just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29, 2012.